椋

liáng

京 + 木

Frequency#4028

Definitions

liáng used in 椋鳥|椋鸟[liáng niǎo]

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 京 represents the sound.

Semantic: 木 Phonetic: 京

About

The character "椋" is structured with the tree radical (木) on the left and the phonetic component "京" on the right, indicating its original semantic connection to a type of tree, specifically the Cornus controversa or Japanese elderberry. Its traditional form is identical to its simplified counterpart. Over time, the character's primary use shifted away from directly naming this tree and became almost exclusively employed in the compound "椋鳥" (liáng niǎo), which names the myna bird. This association has led the character's core meaning in modern usage to be firmly linked to this bird species, with its arboreal etymology largely relegated to historical dictionaries.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

树上有一只椋鸟。

Shù shàng yǒu yī zhī liáng niǎo.

There is a starling on the tree.

椋鸟在天空中飞翔。

Liáng niǎo zài tiānkōng zhōng fēixiáng.

The starling is flying in the sky.

那只椋鸟的歌声很美妙。

Nà zhī liáng niǎo de gēshēng hěn měimiào.

That starling's song is very beautiful.

早晨，椋鸟开始鸣叫。

Zǎochén, liáng niǎo kāishǐ míngjiào.

In the morning, starlings begin to sing.

椋鸟喜欢成群结队地飞行。

Liáng niǎo xǐhuān chéng qún jié duì de fēixíng.

Starlings like to fly in flocks.

与其他鸟类相比，椋鸟更为常见。

Yǔ qítā niǎolèi xiāng bǐ, liáng niǎo gèng wéi chángjiàn.

Compared to other birds, starlings are more common.

当椋鸟迁徙时，它们会覆盖整个天空。

Dāng liáng niǎo qiānxǐ shí, tāmen huì fùgài zhěnggè tiānkōng.

When starlings migrate, they cover the entire sky.

科学家研究椋鸟的群体行为以理解自组织系统。

Kēxuéjiā yánjiū liáng niǎo de qúntǐ xíngwéi yǐ lǐjiě zì zǔzhī xìtǒng.

Scientists study the flocking behavior of starlings to understand self-organizing systems.

Related Characters

Component: 京

Component: 木